Top 5 Ways To Make Exercise A Habit

Exercise is one of the very best things you can do for yourself. Exercise helps with mood, prevents cancer and disease, keeps you in shape – exercise literally does it all. That being said, exercise is also one of the hardest things to make a habit, especially if you are someone who didn’t grow up playing sports or its been a long time since you last worked out.

Below lists the top 5 ways to make exercise a habit:

1. Add it into your daily schedule

Schedule in a workout as if it were an appointment. Block out time that is fully dedicated to working out and stick to it. Many individuals will say that they don’t have time to exercise, which is a cop-out. You make time for important things in your life, and exercise should be one of them.

2. Do it first thing in the morning

Exercising first thing in the morning is the best time for everyone, especially for those who lack motivation to workout. This way you are making exercise a priority, and there is nothing that can get in the way of your workout.

For example, think of those times you have meant to workout after work or later in the day and you had to skip it because a meeting ran late, or something came up that prevented you from getting to your workout. Don’t let this happen and just workout first thing in the morning.

3. Set your clothes out, pack your bag

Streamline your morning by setting everything up the night before. This includes setting your clothes out, packing your bag for work, preparing your lunch and breakfast if possible for the next day. Make it as easy as possible for yourself in the morning to save time to allow you to get your workout in.

4. Remind yourself that something is better than nothing

For those days when you really don’t feel like getting out of bed, or you feel super tired, just tell yourself you’ll exercise for 10 minutes. Usually that 10 minutes will turn into a full workout, but it not, tell yourself that its ok! Some days will better than others, and know that you will have a better workout the next day.

5. Choose an exercise you enjoy

Enjoying the type of exercise you are doing is probably the most important part of making exercise a lasting habit. Remember, exercise is time for yourself – so you should like it! If you are hating the workout, that workout is not for you. Find something you enjoy, and stick with it.

Main takeaways..

It is never too late to start exercising. Exercising daily is one of the very best things you can do, so start making exercise a priority in your life today.

About the author: Sarah-Kate Rems is an Ivy-league trained Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner licensed in California with an expertise in preventative healthcare. She considers nutrition and exercise to be the basis of well-being and is a strong advocate for daily physical activity and maintaining a healthy diet. Sarah-Kate is also a co-founder of The Mindful Tech Lab